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Marou V, Vardavas CI, Aslanoglou K, Nikitara K, Plyta Z, Leonardi-Bee J, Atkins K, Condell O, Lamb F, Suk JE. The impact of conflict on infectious disease: a systematic literature review. Confl Health 2024; 18:27. [PMID: 38584269 PMCID: PMC11000310 DOI: 10.1186/s13031-023-00568-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conflict situations, armed or not, have been associated with emergence and transmission of infectious diseases. This review aims to identify the pathways through which infectious diseases emerge within conflict situations and to outline appropriate infectious disease preparedness and response strategies. METHODS A systematic review was performed representing published evidence from January 2000 to October 2023. Ovid Medline and Embase were utilised to obtain literature on infectious diseases in any conflict settings. The systematic review adhered to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis). No geographical restrictions were imposed. FINDINGS Our review identified 51 studies covering AIDS, Hepatitis B, Tuberculosis, Cholera, Coronavirus 2, Ebola, Poliomyelitis, Malaria, Leishmaniasis, Measles, Diphtheria, Dengue and Acute Bacterial Meningitis within conflict settings in Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Africa since October 2023. Key factors contributing to disease emergence and transmission in conflict situations included population displacement, destruction of vital infrastructure, reduction in functioning healthcare systems and healthcare personnel, disruption of disease control programmes (including reduced surveillance, diagnostic delays, and interrupted vaccinations), reduced access by healthcare providers to populations within areas of active conflict, increased population vulnerability due to limited access to healthcare services, and disruptions in the supply chain of safe water, food, and medication. To mitigate these infectious disease risks reported preparedness and response strategies included both disease-specific intervention strategies as well as broader concepts such as the education of conflict-affected populations through infectious disease awareness programmes, investing in and enabling health care in locations with displaced populations, intensifying immunisation campaigns, and ensuring political commitment and intersectoral collaborations between governments and international organisations. CONCLUSION Conflict plays a direct and indirect role in the transmission and propagation of infectious diseases. The findings from this review can assist decision-makers in the development of evidence-based preparedness and response strategies for the timely and effective containment of infectious disease outbreaks in conflict zones and amongst conflict-driven displaced populations. FUNDING European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control under specific contract No. 22 ECD.13,154 within Framework contract ECDC/2019/001 Lot 1B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valia Marou
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Constantine I Vardavas
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Zinovia Plyta
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Jo Leonardi-Bee
- Centre for Evidence Based Healthcare, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Kirsty Atkins
- Centre for Evidence Based Healthcare, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Orla Condell
- Emergency Preparedness and Response Support, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden
| | - Favelle Lamb
- Emergency Preparedness and Response Support, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden
| | - Jonathan E Suk
- Emergency Preparedness and Response Support, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden.
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2
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Quinn J, Panasenko SI, Leshchenko Y, Gumeniuk K, Onderková A, Stewart D, Gimpelson AJ, Buriachyk M, Martinez M, Parnell TA, Brain L, Sciulli L, Holcomb JB. Prehospital Lessons From the War in Ukraine: Damage Control Resuscitation and Surgery Experiences From Point of Injury to Role 2. Mil Med 2024; 189:17-29. [PMID: 37647607 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usad253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing war in Ukraine presents unique challenges to prehospital medical care for wounded combatants and civilians. The purpose of this article is to identify, describe, and address gaps in prehospital care, casualty evacuation, and medical evacuation throughout Ukraine to share lessons for other providers. Observations and experiences of medical personnel were collected and analyzed, focusing on pain management, antibiotic use, patient assessment, mass casualty triage, blood loss, hypothermia, transport immobilization, and clinical governance. Gaps identified include limited access to pain management, lack of antibiotic guidance, inadequate patient assessment and triage, access to damage control resuscitation and blood, challenged transport immobilization practices, and challenges with clinical governance for both local and foreign providers. Improved prehospital care and casualty and medical evacuation in Ukraine are required, through increased use of empiric pain management, focused antibiotic guidance, enhanced patient assessment and triage in the form of training, access to prehospital blood, and better transport immobilization practices. A robust and active lessons learned program, trauma data capture, and quality improvement process is needed to reduce preventable morbidity and mortality in the war zone. The recommendations presented in this article serve as a starting point for improvements in prehospital care in Ukraine with potential to change prehospital training for the NATO alliance and other organizations operating in similar areas of conflict. Graphical Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Quinn
- Prague Center for Global Health, Prague 120 00, Czech Republic
- East Surrey Emergency Department, Redhill RH1 5RH, UK
| | - Serhii I Panasenko
- Department of Surgery No 3, Poltava State Medical University, Poltava 36039, Ukraine
| | | | - Konstantyn Gumeniuk
- Ukrainian Armed Forces (UKR), Headquarters of Medical Forces of Military Forces, Kyiv 03168, Ukraine
| | - Anna Onderková
- Department of Oncology, Division of Surgery, University College London Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - David Stewart
- Emergency & Deployed Medicine San Diego, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Tracey A Parnell
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Leonid Brain
- NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital Emergency Department
| | - Luke Sciulli
- Auton Lab, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John B Holcomb
- Prague Center for Global Health, Prague 120 00, Czech Republic
- Emergency & Deployed Medicine San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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3
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Hosseini-Shokouh SM, Ghanei M, Mousavi B, Bagheri H, Bahadori M, Meskarpour-Amiri M, Mehdizadeh P. Social disparities and inequalities in healthcare access and expenditures among Iranians exposed to sulfur mustard: a national study using spatio-temporal analysis. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1406. [PMID: 38093322 PMCID: PMC10720241 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10352-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sulfur Mustard (SM) is a chemical warfare agent that has serious short-term and long-term effects on health. Thousands of Iranians were exposed to SM during the eight-year Iran-Iraq conflict and permanently injured while the socioeconomic imbalance in their healthcare utilization (HCU) and health expenditures remains. This study aims to describe the HCU of SM-exposed survivors in Iran from 2018 to 2021; identify high-risk areas; and apply an inequality analysis of utilization regarding the socioeconomic groups to reduce the gap by controlling crucial determinants. METHODS From Oct 2018 to June 2021, the Veterans and Martyrs Affairs Foundation (VMAF) recorded 58,888 living war survivors with eye, lung, and skin ailments. After cleaning the dataset and removing junk codes, we defined 11 HCU-related variables and predicted the HCU for the upcoming years using Bayesian spatio-temporal models. We explored the association of individual-level HCU and determinants using a Zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) model and also investigated the provincial hotspots using Local Moran's I. RESULTS With ≥ 90% confidence, we discovered eleven HCU clusters in Iran. We discovered that the expected number of HCU 1) rises with increasing age, severity of complications in survivors' eyes and lungs, wealth index (WI), life expectancy (LE), and hospital beds ratio; and 2) decreases with growing skin complications, years of schooling (YOS), urbanization, number of hospital beds, length of stay (LOS) in bed, and bed occupancy rate (BOR). The concentration index (CInd) of HCU and associated costs in age and wealth groups were all positive, however, the signs of CInd values for HCU and total cost in YOS, urbanization, LOS, and Hospital beds ratio groups were not identical. CONCLUSIONS We observed a tendency of pro-rich inequity and also higher HCU and expenditures for the elderly population. Finally, health policies should tackle potential socioeconomic inequities to reduce HCU gaps in the SM-exposed population. Also, policymakers should allocate the resources according to the hotspots of HCU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed-Morteza Hosseini-Shokouh
- Health Management Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Health Management and Economics Research Center, Health Management Research Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Health Services Management, Faculty of Health, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Ghanei
- Chemical Injuries Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Batool Mousavi
- Prevention Department, Janbazan Medical and Engineering Research Center (JMERC), Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Bagheri
- Chemical Injuries Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammadkarim Bahadori
- Health Management Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Parisa Mehdizadeh
- Health Management Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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4
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Shishkin A, Lhewa P, Yang C, Gankin Y, Chowell G, Norris M, Skums P, Kirpich A. Excess mortality in Ukraine during the course of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6917. [PMID: 37106001 PMCID: PMC10139669 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33113-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work, the COVID-19 pandemic burden in Ukraine is investigated retrospectively using the excess mortality measures during 2020-2021. In particular, the epidemic impact on the Ukrainian population is studied via the standardized both all-cause and cause-specific mortality scores before and during the epidemic. The excess mortality counts during the pandemic were predicted based on historic data using parametric and nonparametric modeling and then compared with the actual reported counts to quantify the excess. The corresponding standardized mortality P-score metrics were also compared with the neighboring countries. In summary, there were three "waves" of excess all-cause mortality in Ukraine in December 2020, April 2021 and November 2021 with excess of 32%, 43% and 83% above the expected mortality. Each new "wave" of the all-cause mortality was higher than the previous one and the mortality "peaks" corresponded in time to three "waves" of lab-confirmed COVID-19 mortality. The lab-confirmed COVID-19 mortality constituted 9% to 24% of the all-cause mortality during those three peak months. Overall, the mortality trends in Ukraine over time were similar to neighboring countries where vaccination coverage was similar to that in Ukraine. For cause-specific mortality, the excess observed was due to pneumonia as well as circulatory system disease categories that peaked at the same times as the all-cause and lab-confirmed COVID-19 mortality, which was expected. The pneumonias as well as circulatory system disease categories constituted the majority of all cases during those peak times. The seasonality in mortality due to the infectious and parasitic disease category became less pronounced during the pandemic. While the reported numbers were always relatively low, alcohol-related mortality also declined during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandr Shishkin
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Pema Lhewa
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Chen Yang
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Gerardo Chowell
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael Norris
- Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Pavel Skums
- Department of Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alexander Kirpich
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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5
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Goralnick E, Chai PR, Erickson TB. Health and Safety Threats to Ukraine From Nonconventional Weapons: A Clear and Present Danger. JAMA 2022; 328:2301-2302. [PMID: 36469331 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2022.22661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This Viewpoint discusses the potential for use of nonconventional warfare threats (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives) in the conflict in Ukraine and how health care professionals need to recognize and respond to these threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Goralnick
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Ariadne Labs, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Peter R Chai
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Timothy B Erickson
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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6
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Lewtak K, Kanecki K, Tyszko P, Goryński P, Kosińska I, Poznańska A, Rząd M, Nitsch-Osuch A. Hospitalizations of Ukrainian Migrants and Refugees in Poland in the Time of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192013350. [PMID: 36293932 PMCID: PMC9603686 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the face of a sudden influx of several million migrants and war refugees from Ukraine to other European countries, knowledge about the health of Ukrainian citizens becomes increasingly important. The aim of the study is to identify the main health problems of hospitalized Ukrainian citizens residing in Poland in the period from 2014 to June 2022. METHODS This study is based on hospitalization data of Ukrainian patients in Poland taken from the Nationwide General Hospital Morbidity Study. RESULTS The study group covered 8591 hospitalization records. We observed two hospitalization peaks, one in patients aged 0-5 and the other one in those aged 20-35. After the official outbreak of the war, 2231 Ukrainian citizens were hospitalized in Poland. At this time, the most often reported principal reasons for the hospitalizations of adult women were diseases related to pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium, whereas in groups of adult men diseases were related to injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes, and in children and adolescents diseases were infectious and parasitic diseases. CONCLUSIONS Our findings may have implications for healthcare policies and service provision to newly arrived migrants and war refugees in target European countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Lewtak
- Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, 3 Oczki Street, 02-007 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Kanecki
- Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, 3 Oczki Street, 02-007 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Tyszko
- Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, 3 Oczki Street, 02-007 Warsaw, Poland
- Institute of Rural Health in Lublin, 2 Jaczewskiego Street, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Paweł Goryński
- National Institute of Public Health NIH-National Research Institute, 24 Chocimska Street, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Irena Kosińska
- Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, 3 Oczki Street, 02-007 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Poznańska
- National Institute of Public Health NIH-National Research Institute, 24 Chocimska Street, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Rząd
- Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, 3 Oczki Street, 02-007 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aneta Nitsch-Osuch
- Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, 3 Oczki Street, 02-007 Warsaw, Poland
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7
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Cojocaru E, Cojocaru C, Cojocaru E, Oancea CI. Health Risks During Ukrainian Humanitarian Crisis. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2022; 15:1775-1781. [PMID: 36171868 PMCID: PMC9512537 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s375021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The unprecedented exodus in the history of the European Union of more than 6 million Ukrainian refugees (May 13, 2022) is a cause for concern and could lead to a new difficult situation in terms of infectious disease control. Following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Europe is facing a new challenge that could lead to a new wave of COVID-19 and an increase in the number of cases of tuberculosis or eradicated diseases, such as polio. Aim The purpose of this analysis was to provide an overview of lung diseases and health risks that could be encountered in refugees from Ukraine and translated to European Union`countries. Methods A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, World Health Organization, the UN Refugee Agency and the government's websites. Selected publications investigated the health problems arising from Ukrainian population migration from conflict areas and their impact on the public health system in the adoptive countries. The main potentially contagious diseases in Ukraine have also been reviewed. Results The population of Ukraine has serious public health problems such as SARS-CoV-2 infection, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, high levels of drug resistance and difficulties with an effective vaccination program, so there are significant risks of developing epidemics in transit or host countries. The current crisis has major peculiarities because the migrants were not concentrated in the camps but there was a dispersion of them on large territories of European countries. Conclusion In order to meet the health needs of refugees, it is necessary to adapt health systems culturally and linguistically, to train health workers on the particularities of existing diseases in the countries of refugee origin, and to facilitate collection of medical data on migrants' health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Cojocaru
- Morpho-Functional Sciences II Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, 700115, Romania
| | - Cristian Cojocaru
- Medical III Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, 700115, Romania
| | - Elena Cojocaru
- Morpho-Functional Sciences I Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, 700115, Romania
| | - Cristian Iulian Oancea
- Department of Pulmonology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babeș", Timisoara, 300041, Romania
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8
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Biselli R, Nisini R, Lista F, Autore A, Lastilla M, De Lorenzo G, Peragallo MS, Stroffolini T, D’Amelio R. A Historical Review of Military Medical Strategies for Fighting Infectious Diseases: From Battlefields to Global Health. Biomedicines 2022; 10:2050. [PMID: 36009598 PMCID: PMC9405556 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10082050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The environmental conditions generated by war and characterized by poverty, undernutrition, stress, difficult access to safe water and food as well as lack of environmental and personal hygiene favor the spread of many infectious diseases. Epidemic typhus, plague, malaria, cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis, tetanus, and smallpox have nearly constantly accompanied wars, frequently deeply conditioning the outcome of battles/wars more than weapons and military strategy. At the end of the nineteenth century, with the birth of bacteriology, military medical researchers in Germany, the United Kingdom, and France were active in discovering the etiological agents of some diseases and in developing preventive vaccines. Emil von Behring, Ronald Ross and Charles Laveran, who were or served as military physicians, won the first, the second, and the seventh Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for discovering passive anti-diphtheria/tetanus immunotherapy and for identifying mosquito Anopheline as a malaria vector and plasmodium as its etiological agent, respectively. Meanwhile, Major Walter Reed in the United States of America discovered the mosquito vector of yellow fever, thus paving the way for its prevention by vector control. In this work, the military relevance of some vaccine-preventable and non-vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, as well as of biological weapons, and the military contributions to their control will be described. Currently, the civil-military medical collaboration is getting closer and becoming interdependent, from research and development for the prevention of infectious diseases to disasters and emergencies management, as recently demonstrated in Ebola and Zika outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic, even with the high biocontainment aeromedical evacuation, in a sort of global health diplomacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Biselli
- Ispettorato Generale della Sanità Militare, Stato Maggiore della Difesa, Via S. Stefano Rotondo 4, 00184 Roma, Italy
| | - Roberto Nisini
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Florigio Lista
- Dipartimento Scientifico, Policlinico Militare, Comando Logistico dell’Esercito, Via S. Stefano Rotondo 4, 00184 Roma, Italy
| | - Alberto Autore
- Osservatorio Epidemiologico della Difesa, Ispettorato Generale della Sanità Militare, Stato Maggiore della Difesa, Via S. Stefano Rotondo 4, 00184 Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Lastilla
- Istituto di Medicina Aerospaziale, Comando Logistico dell’Aeronautica Militare, Viale Piero Gobetti 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Giuseppe De Lorenzo
- Comando Generale dell’Arma dei Carabinieri, Dipartimento per l’Organizzazione Sanitaria e Veterinaria, Viale Romania 45, 00197 Roma, Italy
| | - Mario Stefano Peragallo
- Centro Studi e Ricerche di Sanità e Veterinaria, Comando Logistico dell’Esercito, Via S. Stefano Rotondo 4, 00184 Roma, Italy
| | - Tommaso Stroffolini
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive e Tropicali, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Raffaele D’Amelio
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via di Grottarossa 1035-1039, 00189 Roma, Italy
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Larocca AMV, Bianchi FP, Bozzi A, Tafuri S, Stefanizzi P, Germinario CA. Long-Term Immunogenicity of Inactivated and Oral Polio Vaccines: An Italian Retrospective Cohort Study. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10081329. [PMID: 36016217 PMCID: PMC9413249 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10081329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Oral and inactivated poliovirus (PV) vaccines have contributed toward the global eradication of wild PV2 and PV3, as well as the elimination of PV1 in most countries. While the long-term (>5−10 years) persistence of protective antibodies in ≥80% of the population vaccinated with ≥3−4 doses of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) has been demonstrated, the duration of immunity in people vaccinated with the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) is still unclear. This study evaluated the seroprevalence of anti-PV neutralizing antibodies and the long-term immunogenicity conferred by OPV and IPV in a sample of medical students from the University of Bari (April 2014−October 2020). The levels of neutralizing PV1, PV2, and PV3 antibodies in blood samples taken during the assessments were evaluated. Neutralizing antibodies against PV1, PV2, and PV3 were present in >90% of the study participants, with rates of >99%, >98%, and ~92−99%, respectively. IPV resulted in a higher immunological response than OPV against PV3. Protective antibodies against all three viruses persisted for at least 18 years after administration of the last vaccine dose. Until PV1 is completely eradicated, maximum vigilance from public health institutions must be maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesco Paolo Bianchi
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Anna Bozzi
- Hygiene Department, Bari Policlinico General Hospital, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Silvio Tafuri
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-80-5478473; Fax: +39-80-5478472
| | - Pasquale Stefanizzi
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Cinzia Annatea Germinario
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
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10
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Dhawan M, Choudhary OP, Priyanka, A. Saied A. Russo-Ukrainian war amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Global impact and containment strategy – Correspondence. Int J Surg 2022; 102:106675. [PMID: 35569761 PMCID: PMC9098802 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2022.106675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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11
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Carta MG, Orrù G, Barberini L. War and pandemic: a negative synergism could amplify the catastrophe. J Public Health Res 2022; 11. [PMID: 35332754 PMCID: PMC8991034 DOI: 10.4081/jphr.2022.3016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Germano Orrù
- Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Cagliari.
| | - Luigi Barberini
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari .
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12
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Wandschneider L, Namer Y, Davidovitch N, Nitzan D, Otok R, Leighton L, Signorelli C, Middleton J, Martin-Moreno JM, Chambaud L, Lopes H, Razum O. The Role of Europe’s Schools of Public Health in Times of War: ASPHER Statement on the War Against Ukraine. Public Health Rev 2022; 43:1604880. [PMID: 35371592 PMCID: PMC8966375 DOI: 10.3389/phrs.2022.1604880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Wandschneider
- Department of Epidemiology and International Public Health, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Yudit Namer
- Department of Epidemiology and International Public Health, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Nadav Davidovitch
- School of Public Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Dorit Nitzan
- School of Public Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Robert Otok
- The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lore Leighton
- The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Carlo Signorelli
- The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), Brussels, Belgium
| | - John Middleton
- The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jose M. Martin-Moreno
- ASPHER Honours’ Committee, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Medical School and INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Henrique Lopes
- Public Health Unit, Institute of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Oliver Razum
- Department of Epidemiology and International Public Health, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- *Correspondence: Oliver Razum,
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Michalski T, Brosz M, Stepien J, Biernacka K, Blaszczyk M, Grabowski J. Perceived Stress Levels among Ukrainian Migrant and LGBT+ Minorities in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:12838. [PMID: 34886564 PMCID: PMC8657859 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, immigrant status and being a member of the LGBT+ community are all independent factors associated with increased stress levels. Few studies provide more complex analysis on this issue, and there has been no research on the cumulative burden of perceived stress that people belonging to both minorities experience in the current epidemiological situation. The aim of this study was to assess the ability to deal with an external situation during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland in the following groups with different stress levels (total sample n = 370): Polish heterosexual men (n = 202), heterosexual men from Ukraine (n = 131) and homo- and bisexual men (men who have sex with men-MSM) from Ukraine (n = 37). A Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was used. The analysis of the survey did not show statistically significant differences between the three study groups in the general level of perceived stress (24.71, 24.77 and 26.49 points, respectively, p = 0.551), but it revealed numerous differences in coping with various aspects of everyday functioning between these groups. Negative assessment of one's own health proved to be the main factor negatively affecting the level of perceived stress, however specific health risks, medical history or the participants' previous experience have not been taken into account in the study. Our research shows differences in the needs, resources and methods of coping with stress between men who are Polish citizens and migrants from Ukraine, both heterosexual and belonging to the MSM group. Proper identification and addressing of these needs, taking into account different availability of health services, could be the responsibility of NGOs or insurance providers. This should result in the reduction of mental health burdens and the risk of developing serious mental disorders, and consequently in better functioning of persons belonging to minorities and in a reduced burden on the health care system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Michalski
- Department of Regional Development, Faculty of Social Science, University of Gdansk, 80-309 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Maciej Brosz
- Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Gdansk, 80-309 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Joanna Stepien
- Department of Socio-Economic Geography, Faculty of Social Science, University of Gdansk, 80-309 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Karolina Biernacka
- Adult Psychiatry Scientific Circle, Division of Developmental Psychiatry, Psychotic and Geriatric Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (K.B.); (M.B.)
| | - Michal Blaszczyk
- Adult Psychiatry Scientific Circle, Division of Developmental Psychiatry, Psychotic and Geriatric Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (K.B.); (M.B.)
| | - Jakub Grabowski
- Division of Developmental Psychiatry, Psychotic and Geriatric Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Wasum Mariani
- MD, PhD. Attending Surgeon, Thoracic Surgery Program, Instituto do Coracao, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
| | - Paulo Manuel Pêgo-Fernandes
- MD, PhD. Full Professor, Thoracic Surgery Program, Instituto do Coracao, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
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